The Ocean Reef Vintage Weekend Celebrates 25 years

Heading to Ocean Reef Vintage Weekend (ORVW), we find our blood pressure takes off like a Blue Origins rocket as we cross the Dade County line. That’s because of the terrible drivers in questionable vehicles clogging the highways along the way south. Once we near the other end of Miami Dade, we head southeast on Card Sound Road past the scrub, dead washing machines, and shells of old boats. We are 22 miles away from paradise: Ocean Reef Club and the Ocean Reef Vintage Weekend.

Think of Ocean Reef Club as an adult Disneyland. It’s an island approximately four miles long and a mile wide. Measuring out to roughly 2,500 acres, it even has its own airport. An inquiry to the airport usually starts with “how big is your jet?” Cars, boats and planes are how this place rolls. But being auto folks, we know “The Car is the Star” whenever a discussion of Vintage Weekend comes up.

Ocean Reef Club is a private membership club located in North Key Largo. Vintage Weekend is the one time of the year the club is open to non-members. Napleton News is proud to have covered this year’s event.

 

Ocean Reef Vintage Weekend Turns 25

Now in its 25^th year, ORVW is in the hands of one of its originators, Bill Parfet. The first organizer of the car display, Parfet recounted how the first show had approximately 12 cars on display. The event was postponed in 2020 due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. This year’s “just for fun” show featured 65 cars, eight vintage yachts and twenty vintage aircraft. These included a P-51 Mustang, a DeHavilland Canada DHC Beaver seaplane, the MX Aircraft MX2 aerobatic plane of Gary Ward, Patti Wagstaff’s Extra 300S, the team of four AT-6 Texan aircraft of the AeroShell Aerobatics team and more.

Boats were also on display and included several restorations and resto-mods too. What’s a resto-mod boat? The same as a resto-mod hot-rod. Typically, it’s a boat restored to its original glory, but the owner doesn’t stop there. They usually carry it further, with upgraded engines, navigation, communication hardware and more.

The Cars are the stars

The Cars are the real reason we attend ORVW. This show includes great examples of cars that were everyone’s favorites back in the day. Some may have been cars of their youth but in that case, what a childhood many of these owners must have had! They range from the ultra-rare to the obscure, including Pebble Beach and Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance winners.

Events during Vintage Weekend include a “Road Rally” from the Club to Alabama Jack’s dive bar on Card Sound Road. We’re not sure but think we might have seen police officers looking the other way as some guests drove away from Jack’s in an exuberant fashion.

Commentary was given by Parfet and Bill Johnston, who discussed the “Evolution of the Automobile,” from steam cars to electric and finally gasoline.

A few of the notables included:

• The 1938 AC Slope Back (UK) was awarded “Most Significant Early Race Car.”
• A 1930 Duesenberg J Lebaron (US) took the prize for “Best Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg.”
• The 1933 Chrysler CL Imperial (US) claimed “Best Classic.”
• A 1959 Chrysler Desoto Convertible (US) took honors as the “Best 50’s Car.”
• Robert Smalley’s 1960 Aston Martin DB4 (UK) received “Best European Sports Car.”
• “Best Porsche” went to the 1963 Porsche 356B Cabriolet (DE) of Tony Esernia.
• The 1965 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia Roadster (DE) of Courtney Smalley Sutter took the “Best Air-Cooled” award.
• The “Best Corvette” award went to Joe Urbinati and his 1967 Corvette 427 Convertible (US).
• “Best American Muscle” went to the 1968 Pontiac GTO convertible (US) of Patti Swope.
• The “Best in Show” award justifiably went to the 1956 Chrysler 300B Boano (US) of Stephen Bruno. This domestic car featured an Italian-designed body with a Chrysler drivetrain. Originally ordered by Gianni Agnelli, once he became chairman of Fiat, he didn’t think it wise to drive a foreign (to him) vehicle. He gave the car to his brother, who apparently felt the same way and sold the vehicle shortly thereafter. It is the only one of its kind in the World.

More to come

The pandemic threw collectors for a loop with many shows taking the year off until they could readjust their plans. Ocean Reef Vintage Weekend was no different.

An Ocean Reef Vintage Weekend Photo Gallery:

Concept cars and more.